All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifiers Round 2B

Wexford v Monaghan, Saturday, 3.00, Innovate Wexford Park

Monaghan will bid to get their championship campaign back on track when they make the long journey to the south east to face Wexford in the qualifiers on Saturday.

Monaghan were aiming for a fourth Ulster final appearance in five years under Malachy O’Rourke after they wins over Fermanagh and Cavan, only to be beaten by Down last time out. Meanwhile, Wexford lost out to Carlow in their Leinster SFC opener, but they got back to winning ways with a one-point defeat of Limerick.

Wexford earlier started their first campaign under former Monaghan manager Séamus McEnaney by winning their first five league games to secure promotion from Division Four of the Allianz National Football League. This is only a third championship meeting of the two counties, 11 years after Wexford avenged the previous summer’s defeat to dump Monaghan out in a dour encounter in Clones. League encounters between the teams have also been few and far between.

Wexford possess attacking threats in the likes of Ben Brosnan, Ciarán Lyng and PJ Banville, who are survivors of the team that reached the 2008 All-Ireland semi-finals. Adrian Flynn, Daithí Waters, Brian Malone and Joey Wadding are other key players for Wexford.

O’Rourke has named an unchanged 26-man panel for Monaghan, who will be looking for big performances from the likes of Conor McManus, the Hughes and Wylie brothers, Colin Walshe and Jack McCarron as they go in search of a place in Monday’s Round 3B draw.

Wexford: Shane Roche; Brian Malone, Jim Rossiter, Michael Furlong; Eoghan Nolan, Joey Wadding, Tiarnán Rossiter; Daithí Waters (Capt.), Naomhán Rossiter; Kevin O’Grady, Ben Brosnan, Adrian Flynn; Ciarán Lyng, Conor Carty, PJ Banville.

Subs: Conor Swaine, James Stafford, Paul Curtis, John Leacy, Jake Firman, Colm Kehoe, Ronan Devereux, Mickey Dwyer, Niall Hughes, John Tubritt, Dónal Shanley.

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Fintan Kelly, Drew Wylie, Ryan Wylie; Colin Walshe (Capt.), Vincent Corey, Neil McAdam; Kieran Hughes, Karl O’Connell; Darren Hughes, Kieran Duffy, Owen Duffy; Dermot Malone, Jack McCarron, Conor McManus.

Subs: Conor Forde, Dessie Mone, James Mealiff, Brian Greenan, Dessie Ward, Ryan McAnespie, Gavin Doogan, Thomas Kerr, Shane Carey, Conor McCarthy, Darren Freeman.